Orange County NC Website
ORANGE COUNTY,I~RTH CAROLINA <br />objectives must also accommodate variations in fire danger. It is important to <br />consider subsequent responses occurring after the initial response and the <br />possibility of simultaneous emergency events, such as fire, rescue, hazmat, and EMS <br />incidents occurring during or after the initial incident. A number of measures and <br />standards are considered by fire and rescue agencies when developing response <br />capability objectives. <br />STANDARDS AND FACTORS USED TO DEVELOP RESPONSE CAPABILITY OBJECTIVES <br />Containment of a Fire/Flashover NFPA Standard 1710 <br />Geographic Characteristics of the County NFPA Standard 1720 <br />Sequence of Emergency Response AMA EMS Response Considerations and Standards <br />"Two In, Two Out" OSHA Safety Rule AHA Standards .for Cardiac Response <br />Distribution of Capacity (fire station location) <br />Containment. In structure fire instances, there are several important factors <br />to consider. First is the behavior of fire within a confined space. The associated risks <br />can vary across the County. In closely developed, built-up areas, it is imperative to <br />consistently contain a fire within the compartment of origin (that area separated <br />from the remainder of the structure by construction). This means that the fire <br />department must interrupt the growth of fire before a condition called flashover <br />occurs. At flashover, there is a rapid transition in fire behavior from localized <br />burning of fuel, to involvement of all the combustibles in the enclosure. At that time, <br />the fire typically expands in six different directions: vertically through the ceiling, <br />horizontally through the four walls, and even through openings in the floor. By then, <br />all barriers to fire growth beyond the original compartment are under attack by <br />extremely hot flame, smoke, and gasses. These elements expand at approximately <br />50 times their volume per minute. At flashover, the probability of death or serious <br />injury to occupants of the structure is significant. Obviously, life safety within the <br />structure is a basic concern and, when nearby properties are involved, the control of <br />flashover becomes even more paramount as additional hues and property are <br />jeopardized. <br />Comprehensive testing by the United States Institute of Standards and <br />Technology has generally established that a fire within a typically furnished room <br />will evolve into flashover within four to ten minutes of the event of open flame. At <br />~} MMA CbNSULTING GkOUP, INC. 27 <br />